Gender Identity Disorder

Gender identity disorder is a disorder in which people suffer from relentless feelings that an error has been made in which gender they have been born. Sufferers of this disorder are extremely confused and agitated on a constant basis in their everyday lives. Most people with gender identity disorder will live pretending to be the sex or gender that they believe they should have been. These people are many times disgusted with their own bodies and feel a disconnect with who they feel that they are and who they see when they look in the mirror; this causes them to question their own identity, depression, sadness, among others. Several people that suffer from gender identity disorder become suicidal. The unhappiness and depression from the confusion that they feel every day many times becomes so unrelenting and unbearable that they feel suicide is the only way to put a stop to all of the pain and confusion that they feel. Many people argue that this disorder should not be classified as a psychological disorder, but instead, a medical condition. They believe that this is a condition that simply causes unhappiness like many other medical conditions and should be classified they same way. This view point on gender identity disorder could possibly be a more valid way to diagnose and treat the disorder, however, psychologists stand firm in the belief that this disorder is psychological and should be treated as such. This disorder differs from the majority of psychological disorders in that “men with gender identity disorder outnumber women by around 2 to 1” (Comer 2010, p.445). And, although it is surprising to find that there are more men than women with this disorder, it only affects a very minute percent of adults, “considerably less than 1 percent” (Comer 2010,…...

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...Gender Identity
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Biological Factors and Sexual Differentiation The human body consists of many hormones. Among them are androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Androgens and estrogens are both the most common classes of gonadal hormones. A third class of gonadal hormones is progestins. The most common progestin is progesterone. Progesterone prepares the uterus and breasts for pregnancy in females; however it is unclear of its purpose in males (Pinel, 2009). Although it is widely assumed that androgens are “male” hormones and estrogens are “female” hormones. In actuality, men and women have the same hormones although at different levels. These hormones also do not perform the same functions in both sexes.
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...Gender Identity Disorder in Males: Causes, Effects & Prevention
Natalie Krouse
English Composition II
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Although most people have heard of Gender Identity Disorder, the majority of those people probably have no idea what it is and what it actually means. Gender Identity Disorder is a condition in which a male or female feels a strong identification with the opposite sex. The disorder strongly affects an individual’s self-image, and can impact a person’s mannerisms, behavior, and dress. Though GID is often misunderstood, if caught at an early age and treated properly it can be diminished. Signs of the disorder can be recognized in very early childhood but, if ignored, can often lead to an individual living a life full of confusion, pain and heartache.
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...Gender Identity Disorder Defined
To be diagnosis with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) says “There are two components of Gender Identity Disorder, both of which must be present too make the diagnosis. There must be evidence of a strong and persistent cross- gender identification, which is the desire to be, or the insistence that one is, of the other sex. There must also be evidence of persistent discomfort about one's assigned sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex. To make the diagnosis, there must be evidence of clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). There are several diagnosis mentioned in the DSM. Transvestic Fetishism is when heterosexual men cross dress for sexual excitement. These people don't necessarily have childhood cross gender behaviors. Schizophrenia patients may demonstrate Gender Identity Disorder behaviors.
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There are many biological, psychological, and sociological factors involved in the formation of gender identity. Gender identity is not completely understood as it is much more complex than the joining of a sperm and an egg. For many people, the terms “gender” and “sex” are interchangeable. Biological sex and gender are different; gender is not inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy as biological sex is. When one thinks’ of the term “gender”, we are referring to the role and personalities one assumes within society, for example in American culture females tend to be perceived as more nurturing and males are aggressive and dominant. Hormones and behavior affect gender identity in significant ways each with a distinct purpose. To understand the difference of biological sex and gender, nature versus nurture, and how the environment has an effect this paper will review and explain the interactions between hormones and behaviors and how those interactions affect the determination of gender identity.
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...Gender Identity
Quinsigamond Community College
English
April 25, 2014
Gender Identity
There are many contributing factors that lead to how one view their own gender identity and also how they view others. It is my opinion that at the earliest stages of our lives we are already beginning to form our gender identity. As we begin to connect with our parents we are molded and we identify with our same sex parent.
I lost my father when I was seven years old, however, I had already identified my gender and much of my mannerisms came from him. I’m sure most of it is just in my genetic make-up, however, I do know that although I only had seven years with him I was able to identify with him.
Growing up in a household of all women, at a very young age, allowed me to see how women view their gender identity. I noted that my sisters and my mother were all particularly influenced by media and pictures in magazines. My sisters especially would always be out shopping to “stay on top” of the fashion trend in order to be viewed as feminine, and attractive.
I do believe core family values does play a part of gender identity however I think the media has the biggest influence. We see young children trying to mimic the idols they see in the media. We see young children with eating disorders and posting pictures of their frail bodies online. We see reports in the media of adolescents committing suicide as they struggle with their gender identity and look for acceptance from......

...Gender Identity Disorder
Gender Identity Disorder
Gender identity disorder is when a person has the desire to become a member of the opposite sex. Females want to become males and males want to become females. This type of disorder generally develops in childhood and either diminishes in adulthood or goes as far as having sexual reassignment surgery.
Someone that suffers from this disorder tends to be uncomfortable with the gender in which they were born. Males are often chastised for their femininity and females for being so masculine. People with gender identity disorder find themselves dressing in the opposite sexes’ clothes and taking on their personality traits. These people can be considered transsexuals. When they take the form of the opposite sex as in taking hormones and having a mastectomy, they can or rather be called transgendered.
In order for someone to be diagnosed with a gender identity disorder they must have this feeling for at least two years. A history and psychiatric evaluation can validate the person's undeniable desire to be the opposite sex. Athealth.com describes diagnosing this disorder by, “A mental health professional makes a diagnosis of gender identity disorder by taking a careful personal history from the client/patient. No laboratory tests are required to make a diagnosis of gender identity disorder. However, it is very important not to overlook a physical illness that might mimic or contribute to a psychological disorder. If...

...Definition:
Gender Dysphoria Disorder was formerly understood by the term Gender Identity Disorder (GID). In this type of disorder, an individual’s biological gender and emotional gender do not accord. This means that an individual of one gender feels at ease with the opposite gender and is at odds with people of his own gender. For instance, an individual who is a male feels that he is more secure and confident with the female gender rather than in the company of males. In other words, confusion over identity or trans-sexualism (as it was formerly called) or transgender (as it is often referred to in current terminology) is a disorder that is felt by individuals who belong to one gender yet identify themselves with the opposite gender, while at the same time being uncomfortable in the company or interaction of the same gender. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) identifies gender dysphoria as “people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with” (Zucker et al, 2013). The person may be an adult, a child or an adolescent.
Although the clinical term still refers to the condition as a disorder, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) states that it should not be called a disorder as such since it is not a mental illness. The intolerable situation for the individual suffering from the gender identity confusion or mismatch actually occurs due to stress and emotional disturbances associated with what......

...Gender Identity Disorder
The psychological diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) describes an individual who experiences a strong identification with the opposite sex. This cross-gender identification refers to the desire to be, or the insistence that one is, of the other sex, often results in the individual experiencing high levels of discomfort and distress.
Many key terms are commonly misunderstood and are often assumed to be synonymous when referring to Gender Identity Disorder. Thus, it is important to differentiate these terms. First, the term “sex” refers to an individual’s biological reproductive structures. Whereas, gender refers to the psychosocial, expected behaviours and rules an individual attributes to. Gender identity refers to the individual’s subjective feelings towards the particular gender they identify with. Lastly, gender role is another important concept that should be properly defined. It refers to the behaviours, attitudes, and schemas that a society deems acceptable and designates as either masculine or feminine (Dragpwski, Scharron-del Rio & Sandigorsky, 2011).
The DSM-IV-TR defines two important components of Gender Identity Disorder. The first is the presence of strong and persistent cross-gender identification (Criterion A) (DSM-IV-TR, 2010). In children, the problem must lie within 4 of the 5 following behavioural characteristics: (a) repeatedly stated desire to be, or insistence that he or she is, the other sex; (b) in boys,......

...Introduction
Gender identity disorders in children and adolescents are rare and complex
conditions. They are often associated with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Intense distress is often experienced, particularly in adolescence.
Gender identity disorders can be seen as states in which, in the course of the
young person’s psychosexual development, there is an atypical gender identity
organisation. The young person experiences their phenotypic sex as incongruous
with his or her own sense of gender identity.
This predicament, which is commoner in boys, is characterised by:
• A desire to be of the other sex
• Cross-dressing
• Play with games, toys and objects usually associated with the other sex
and avoidance of play normally associated with their sex
• Preference for playmates or friends of the sex with which the child
identifies
• Dislike of bodily sexual characteristics and functions
It is important to consider these states as different from those seen in adults
because:
(a) A developmental process is involved (physical, psychological and sexual).
(b) There is greater fluidity and variability in the outcome, with only a small
proportion becoming transsexuals or transvestites, the majority of affected
children eventually developing a homosexual orientation and some a
heterosexual orientation without transvestism or transsexualism.
Similarly, pre-pubertal and post-pubertal groups need to be differentiated.
There is greater fluidity and......

...Biological and psychosociocultural identifies the meaning in gender identity. It is said that the sex of a child is biological (the genetic makeup) and the gender is psychosociocultural (male/female defined by social status). Specifically, when addressing the gender it is defined as ones role and personality that they assume, for example in the American culture females are nurturing and the males are to be aggressive. To understand the difference of the two, nature versus nurture, it is not until body parts are maturing to makeup the biological aspect of a person and how one acts upon this maturity is the character develop from the environment.
Biological Factors- Nature
Before humans are born gender is determined biologically based on feminine or masculine characteristics. Hormones linked to sexual characteristics and reproductive functions are found in different levels in males and females from infancy through adulthood (Hetherington & Parke, 2002). During the period of puberty the pituitary gland releases special hormones that trigger the tendency toward a specific gender. Though there is no solid proof of biological factors being the determination of one’s identity, that we are born with certain characteristics, one would even argue the fact that if a parent is an alcoholic does not mean the child will be one as well, though they carry the specific trait it will have other influences for one to go down that same path (genetic fixity).
Environmental Influences –......

...differentiation and gender idenity. This paper will explain the interaction between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions affect the the determination of gender identiy.
The sexual behavior of humans are shaped and influenced by cultural factors that leads human sexuality to be expressed in various ways through many cultures historically. The biological factors in sexual differentiation are very important to the human because it allows a person to grasp and understand the complexities and problems that are involved in human sexual conditions. The premature stages of sexual differentiation after birth are influenced by environmental factors. Once the child advance from childhood and into young adulthood the influences of biological, environmetal, and culture has an effect on sexual differentiation.
According to Ault and Brzuzy (2009), gender identity is a multifaceted system of ideas surrounding masculinity and femininity, in terms of the roles prescribed to men and women by society, and how they relate to maleness and femaleness in relation to the self. Gender identity is presented through behavioral expressions of masculinity and femininity, feelings surrounding the body as a sexual, and individual perceptions regarding how others will respond to expressions of gender (Ault & Brzuzy, 2009).
Gender refers to humans ability of awareness and reaction to biological that is determined by biological, psychological and sociological factors. Gender is......

...Internal and External Factors Influencing the Development of Gender Identity
Lanita Doub
Liberty University
COUN 502-Human Growth & Development
Laura Rolen
August 11, 2012
Internal and External Factors Influencing the Development of Gender Identity
Gender identity is defined as "the perception of oneself as male or female", ( Feldman, 2011). Gender is established by the time a child reaches his or her preschool years. "By the age of two, children consistently label themselves and those around them as male or female" (Feldman, 2011). Preschoolers are very rigid in their beliefs about gender-appropriate behavior. These beliefs become more pronounced by the age of five years. By age seven years the beliefs are still there, although less rigid. Preschooler's ideas of stereotypical behavior are compared to those of traditional adults.
Preschoolers develop a gender schema, "a cognitive framework that organizes information relevant to gender"(Feldman, 2011). For example, a preschool boy may refuse to wear makeup in a school play because he knows that makeup is for girls only. In 1966, Lawrence Kohlberg proposed a cognitive-developmental theory, which explains the rigidity of preschoolers as their understanding of gender, and gender appropriate behavior (Feldman, 2011).
Shuvo Ghosh states that the development of gender identity "clearly begins in the intrauterine stage". He attributes this to hormone......

...There are a few different factors that are included that determine gender identity; like genetic factors, environmental situations, psychosocial factors, and evensexual hormones. “Gender identity is almost always consistent with chromosomal sex.” (Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. 2005). From the moment sperm fertilized an ovum, our destiny to be a girl or a boy is chosen. Usually at this point; 23 chromosomes from the male donor and 23 from the female come together and combine to make a “zygote”. Starting about six weeks into the pregnancy, our bodies began to form and create into what they are meant to be, and after the seventh week, our genetic code (XY or XX) begins to really assert itself. Gender identity is not
always a term referring to a person’s anatomic sex, “sex assignment” is now the correct term to ask a person their anatomic sex that occurred at birth. It is said that by 36 months old, most children are said to have a firm sense of their gender identity. Our genes play an important role in determining our gender identity. The SRY gene (which is the gene that determines the Ymale gene) will bind to DNA and distort, and alter it, creating the testes. The gene called Sox 9 is the
gene that regulates the expression of SRY. If Sox 9 did not get to regulate the SRY gene; it would turn into a male fetus. We without help from the SRY gene, female reproductive organs would form instead of male organs. “Recent research suggests that as many as one in......